Sunday, February 12, 2012

In 2007, John Maywald had a restaurant building that he couldn't lease out, and he was more than skeptical about using it to run his own place. After nearly four years of sitting vacant, he decided along with his spouse and some friends to fish rather than cut bait. He hasn't yet quit his accountant day job since he was used to the grind of the weekend warrior circus that is competition barbecue, but they have some very limited hours (every other Saturday and Sunday, aka: call ahead) that hopefully will change given the stellar smoked meats.

An old Oyler pit that he picked up second hand sits within a trailer out back of the joint. Hickory is the only wood that goes in, and what comes out is not the beef broth injected and over-trimmed brisket from the competition circuit. This meat has deep smoke, and perfect meaty texture. The silky soft fat had sucked up any remaining smoke that the brisket missed for an otherworldly flavor. The rub was ingredient laden, but salt and sugar are high on the list keeping the surface from gumming up. Tender but meaty ribs had the same rub flavor, but with more punch (maybe from MSG). Either way, it was a stellar combo.

I had to fish out the lonely link of sausage from under the pile. It was hiding from embarrassment. There was nothing redeeming from this limp precooked link. It was meant for an oblong white bun, not butcher paper. It honestly had me a bit depressed about the plate as a whole until I bit into the chicken. I can say without hyperbole or any self-doubt that this was the finest smoked chicken thigh I have ever consumed. With the chicken, John was just showing off those competition smoking chops. At the judge's table, nothing is worse than chewy chicken skin or dry meat, but this thigh had a perfectly paper-thin crispy skin that came away cleanly with every bite through the lusciously moist and tender meat. Smoked chicken is not something I'm used to gushing about, but this was poultry nirvana.

Hard to find at the crossing of two small Farm-to-Market roads just a dozen or so miles north of Boerne, this joint is worth seeking out. With some luck and consistent food, this joint may just find themselves open a few more than four days a month, and the pitmaster can finally put down his calculator.

2 comments:

Anonymous
said...

You must have been there a day other than the 2 times I visited. Their brisket was dry and not the least bit of competition quality. Yes, the sausage is embarrassing. I want my money back. The beef ribs were sub-grade. I had 2 sausage links and 2 ribs and one coke for $18.00. Not even fair if the food was good.

You can pass this one up for a year or so until they get their act together.

I completely agree. The burnt ends are supposedly to die for, but unobtainable to anyone not a member of the inside circle it seems. The brisket has been dry all three times I've visited, the sausage was really just awful, and even the sides were sub-par. I didn't try the ribs. I, too, felt the prices were way too high, even for excellent food. Three strikes, they're out--we will not return.

DISCLAIMER:

Each joint is judged on the essence of Texas 'cue...sliced brisket and pork ribs. Sausage is only considered if house made. Sauce is good, but good meat needs no adornment to satisfy. Each review can only be based on specific cuts of meat on that particular day. Finally, if the place fries up catfish or serves a caesar salad, then chances are they aren't paying enough attention to the pits, so we mostly steered clear.

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GLOSSARY

Crust - Layer of black goodness around the edges of brisket or ribs that holds excellent flavor.

Meat Caramel - After gratuitous amounts of smoke are applied, and liquid rendered fat has come to the surface of the meat to mix with the applied rub, a chemical rendering takes place that creates a sweet sticky layer on the surface of the meat that clings to the tip of your finger when pulled away from the meat. This is affectionately known as meat snot.

Parboiled - A process in which ribs are boiled before being grilled or smoked. This is what makes meat fall off the bone, and it also leaves good, flavorful fat in the water. It's cheating.Rendered - The process of cooking fat until it literally melts into the meat. Cook it too fast and the fat is absent from the meat creating dryness. If it's not cooked long enough, the fat remains gelatinous and unsavory. There's no need to put well rendered fat aside.Roast-Beefy - Brisket that hasn't been bathed in smoke, but rather tastes as if it was thrown in an oven like any hunk of roast beef. It might be good food, but it's not BBQ.Sauced - Unsolicited BBQ sauce slathered over top of your meat, usually to add what was non-existent flavor in the meat.Smoke Line - Red line around the outside edge of sliced brisket just below the crust that signifies an adequate amount of time in the smoker.Sugar Cookie - Fat that turns to a slightly sweet and crispy flavorful nugget after copius amounts of smoke are applied.